Berkeley residents, business displaced after 3-alarm fire last Friday still unable to return

Bay City News Service

Posted:
01/14/2014 07:15:12 AM PST

Updated:
01/14/2014 07:31:36 AM PST

BERKELEY - Nine residents and a cat who were displaced in a three-alarm fire in downtown Berkeley last Friday have not yet been able to return to their homes, the Berkeley fire deputy chief said Monday.

The fire was reported at 2:24 p.m. at a two-story building in the 2500 block of Shattuck Avenue, according to Berkeley fire Deputy Chief Avery Webb.

Webb said there were eight units in the upper part of the building and two business spaces on the ground floor with only one occupied as a hair and beauty supply store.

The MG Enchanez Hair Shop is listed at that location.

The store also remains closed today, he said.

Residents who were home when the fire broke out were able to get out of the house safely before firefighters arrived, he said.

One resident was "very distraught" until firefighters brought a cat safely out of the building, Webb said.

Crews had the fire under control at 2:54 p.m., he said.

It appears the fire started outside the building in a gap next to the neighboring edifice.

There was a build up of debris in the space and someone had dropped a cigarette butt in between the buildings, which ignited the blaze, Webb said.

It is being considered an accident, he said.

The fire caused $75,000 of damage to the building and led to the damage of $25,000 of contents, he said.